


Like Father Like Son

by FatherIimaginedyoutaller



Series: Bruce and Damian Fluff that I use to cope [4]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Robin: Son of Batman (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Damian Wayne has OCD, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, OCD, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:41:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24812488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FatherIimaginedyoutaller/pseuds/FatherIimaginedyoutaller
Summary: Bruce can feel Damian has been off for a few days. When it all comes crashing down, they still have each other.
Relationships: Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne
Series: Bruce and Damian Fluff that I use to cope [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704196
Comments: 3
Kudos: 89





	Like Father Like Son

**Author's Note:**

> Another batfam member who has OCD because I write to cope

Bruce knew how to spot when his children were upset.

No matter how much they were trained to hide otherwise, he could tell. By the tone of their voice, by the softness and hardness of their facial expressions, by how much they were eating, the list could go on and on.

Now, telling why they were upset, that was more complicated to decipher. Probably harder to do than the mysteries he was used to crack as the World's Greatest Detective, but it was his duty as a father to do so. Not only because he had to but because it absolutely hurt to be powerless before your children's suffering.

This last week, Damian's pain had been his own pain.

Now Bruce at first didn't noticed anything wrong, in fact, on Monday him and Damian had had their weekly violin and piano session. They interpreted Damian's favorite song actually, and then Bruce's. Nothing seemed off with the boy at the time. Only that he seemed to be pushing himself more to his limits when it came to playing the instrument. Bruce could tell by how hard he was pressing his finger against the bow and how his brows furrowed. As if he was deep in his thought.

On Tuesday they had patrol together, and Damian had been quiet, very quiet. One thing Bruce had noticed over the years was that Damian talked more when he was comfortable with people. And although usually they didn't speak that much on patrol to begin with, they did had an specific type of banter that wasn't present that day. That day was radio silence. He also noticed that he was softly biting his lip, as if he wanted to say something.

It was strange for Damian to shut off something he wanted to say.

During Wednesday and Thursday they hadn't seen each other due to Bruce being on Watchtower duty in which he came back tired after not sleeping for more than 24 hours. Sleeping from Thursday afternoon to Friday in the early morning.

He heard a noise in his door. He opened an eye half asleep and saw someone looking at him from the door. It was so dark he barely saw the domino mask and the heterochromatic eyes shining with the moon coming from the window.

Before Bruce could do anything the door suddenly closed. Leaving the man confused. Why had Damian been watching him sleep?

He try to make sense of it. Damian had been acting odd around him? Odd in way that Bruce hadn't seen in his son ever. It was like if he had something to say, stuck in his throat which was dying to get out, but he just couldn't say it. What was going on with his youngest bird? Was he hurt? In danger? And if that was the case why he just couldn't express it?

Bruce had a bad feeling about it, and he couldn't wait until morning to find out. So he got up from bed, his feet cold from the wooden floor, and went to Damian's room.

As soon as he step out of the room, he froze. Because he could hear something coming from his son's room due to his enhanced hearing after years of training.

He heard sobbing.

His hearts flipped in his chest and he quickly furthered his step on the halls and into Damian's room. He looked like a man in a mission. He was going to see what this was all about, now, he had to.

He put his hand on the knob another hand stopped his. Bruce turned around and saw his own father in pajamas.

"Alfred? "

"I'm sorry, I'll speak to him " he said softly, carefully.

"Why? " Bruce asked " What's wrong?"

Alfred looked at him seriously and then took a deep breath.

"He will tell you tomorrow."

Bruce frowned, the sobbing suddenly stopped. He knew Damian was listening now. But he still looked at Alfred.

"He's been acting strange all week. What's happening? if you know then you should tell me! He's my son I have the right to know!"

"You do have the right to know " Alfred agreed "But he's not ready to tell you yet, I promise he will, be patient"

"Please?"

Bruce sighed and looked down, then at Alfred. The butler bit his tongue at how hurt Bruce looked "What are you not telling me, Alfred?"

"It is not my grievance to share, it is the young master's" he replied.

Bruce looked at Alfred, then at Damian's bedroom door. He felt something hard pressing on his chest. He felt so powerless.

Without saying anything he went back to his room.

*

Bruce sat on the chair of the kitchen table. Alfred served him coffee, not that Bruce needed it. He hadn't slept since he woke up that night.

"Master Damian will be arriving shortly "

Bruce only nodded, refusing to speak to his father, in a manner that could only be described as spiteful and childish.

Before Alfred could comment on it the teenage boy walked through the kitchen's door. He was still in his pajamas, with his hair spaced off in different directions and a somnolent stare. He locked eyes with Bruce and fully woke up, his eyes slowly widening.

An uncomfortable pause was make present.

"I've made you both breakfast " Alfred said to break it off. He put two plates with eggs and toast on the table along with a cup of coffee and one of tea for Damian. Both father and son ignored him.

"Masters, I know it must be really hard for you, but for the sake of everyone, talk to each other"

And with that he left.

"I suppose you what an explanation for what happened last night "

"Yes, I would also want to know why have you been acting so reluctant for the last week" Bruce said crossing his arms, maybe he was a little more harsh that he intended to.

Damian nodded seriously, he went to the table and sat in front of his father. He sighed.

" I'm sorry that I have been so secretive with my...emotions" he said the last word as if it was venom "An idea came to mind recently and I haven't been able to stop obsessing over it"

Bruce uncrossed his arms and his expression softened. Damian had been obsessing over something? Over an "idea"? Did he had OCD? I mean they had been studies over a genetic component with that disorder. Suddenly guilt settled in Bruce's stomach. His son probably had the same disorder than him, and he had been ignoring all the signs of it.

"Damian, you should've told me what was going on" Bruce said "I would have understood, more than you ever know, why didn't you told me?"

Damian bit his lip "I was embarrassed" the boy admitted "The idea I obsessed over was...I couldn't tell you what it was and I let it consume me"

Bruce nodded seriously. He knew how Damian felt, his POCD had affected every tiny aspect of his life. He knew how it was to loss control of your own brain. To feel complete hopeless and afraid. Clinging to one idea each and every day.

"I'm sorry that you had to deal either this on your own" Bruce said " I'm sorry if I made you feel you couldn't come with this to me "

"It's not that I didn't feel comfortable sharing it with you" Damian clarified and shifted in his seat "It's that the obsession involves you"

Bruce nodded carefully. He wanted to tell Damian that it was ok, that it wasn't him and it was the OCD talking. That it didn't matter if the obsession involving him was depraved, gross or disturbing. That they were just thoughts and irrational fears. But he couldn't do it, no matter how much he wanted to give his boy reassurance he couldn't, that would only make him more insecure and would only worsen the symptoms.

He needed to force him to talk about it.

"What is the obsession about?" He finally asked.

Damian stayed silent for what it felt like hours.

"I-I'm obsessed with the fact that you're old and that you could die soon"

Bruce eyes widened at the sudden confession coming from his son. Damian proceeded to talk. As of his mouth was faucet that couldn't wait to spill words.

"It started on Monday when we were playing music together, I started to think on how much we had progressed together but then you mentioned how you had been to recitals of Ballet with Cassandra and you still hadn't seen me in concert so I started to compulsively seek for a position in the school band" Damian explained.

"When they told me the band was full I began to think how you would never see me play since this is my senior year of school and it was to late, then the thought change to me thinking how despite being eighteen you never taught me how to drive and then it evolved on me listing all the things that you did taught me but they outnumbered the things that you didn't so I panicked and then on patrol I started to think how you could have died when that Penguin's henchmen shoot you and how I wouldn't have spend enough time with you when you were alive."

" And finally, I was terrified that you might have died when you were on the Watchtower, that's why I came to your room last night"

By the time Damian finished he had tears falling down his face and his eyes were red and puffy.

Bruce sat on the table processing the information. A part of him knew that he should scold Damian for delivering a confession and engaging in compulsions because sadly "though love" was the most caring way of showing someone who has OCD that you need them to get better, but with all the abuse Damian had suffered in his early life he couldn't just do that yet. He could engage in some pandering to his son. Until he felt in sufficient stable in mood in order to get treatment.

He wanted to assure him that everything will be okay, no matter how harmful in the long run it would be.

No, he couldn't.

"I'm sorry that you were going through this" he said finally " I understand how hard it can be to obsess over something. After breakfast I'll be arranging a meeting with a psychiatrist."

Damian nodded and looked down. The poor boy was probably still embarrassed and even scare by own head.

"For what is worth" Bruce said " I appreciate each and every moment we have spend together and, not to give you reassurance, but they'll be a lot of future moments for us to be together"

He stood up and went over to his son, he hunched down and pulled him into a big hug.

"I love you" he whispered and kissed his forehead.

Bruce felt his clothes dampening with where Damian's head was. He shushed the boy quietly. And then said.

"You know, the more time you worry about us not being together the least time we can actually spend together"

Damian pulled out and looked at Bruce in the eye.

"You're right, but I still can stop worrying"

"That's true" Bruce said "But do you think you could try to power through for a while, until we have breakfast first"

Damian wiped his tears "Yeah I believe I could do it"


End file.
